World's Finest Comics #111
☆ Be the first to review + Add to your collection — Join freeWorld's Finest Comics #111 is the debut issue of the Clock King (William Tockman), a villain who would outlast his Silver Age origins to become a recurring presence across Justice League International, Suicide Squad, and multiple media adaptations. The Clock King arrived not as a superpowered threat but as a meticulous, clock-obsessed criminal whose tragic motivation — robbing a bank to provide for a terminally ill sister after a misdiagnosis — gave the Silver Age DC anthology an unusually sympathetic antagonist. As a backup feature in a title that anchored the Superman-Batman partnership, the Green Arrow story 'The Crimes of the Clock King' has been recognized by comics historians as one of the strongest solo Green Arrow adventures of the decade, demonstrating that DC's secondary features could carry real narrative weight alongside their headline stars.
In "Superman's Secret Kingdom," a volcanic eruption strips Superman of his memory, leaving him stranded in a lost Aztec city where he's crowned king by the grateful inhabitants. When Batman and Robin track him down, they're met with suspicion by a man claiming the Dynamic Duo are impostors—led by the cunning Floyd Frisby. Written by Bill Finger and brought to life by Dick Sprang’s art with Sheldon Moldoff’s inks, this 1960 DC classic features Curt Swan’s iconic cover.
In a forgotten Aztec city, Superman—stricken with amnesia after a volcanic eruption—rises as king to a people who believe him divine. When Batman and Robin arrive to find him, they're met with suspicion by a cunning criminal named Floyd Frisby, who twists the truth to turn Superman against his allies.
In "The Crimes of the Clock King," the cunning villain outsmarts Green Arrow and Speedy with a string of precise, time-themed heists—until the duo finds themselves ensnared in his mechanical lair. With clever traps and ticking deadlines, the Clock King pushes the heroes to their limits, but can they break free before time runs out?
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The issue went on sale June 7, 1960, with a cover date of August 1960, and was edited by Jack Schiff with associate editors Murray Boltinoff and George Kashdan. The Clock King was brought to life by writer France Herron and artist Lee Elias — a pairing well-established on the Green Arrow feature, as Herron served as Green Arrow's primary scripter from 1947 through 1963. Herron was one of DC's most prolific Silver Age utility writers, with concurrent credits on Challengers of the Unknown, Tomahawk, and multiple war titles; his Clock King creation joined a short but distinguished list of villain co-creations that also included the Batman of Zur-En-Arrh (with Dick Sprang) and Firefly.
Trivia · 8 facts
- First appearance of Clock King (William Tockman), created by writer France Herron and artist Lee Elias; published with a cover date of August 1960, on sale June 7, 1960.
- Clock King debuted as a Green Arrow villain in the backup story titled 'The Crimes of the Clock King,' set in Star City; he would later become more widely known through Justice League International and Suicide Squad storylines.
- William Tockman's origin: a man who turns to crime after a doctor's misdiagnosis gives him six months to live, hoping to provide for his invalid sister — one of the earliest examples in Silver Age DC of a villain with a sympathetic, tragic motivation.
- The issue is an anthology containing three stories: the Superman/Batman lead 'Superman's Secret Kingdom' (Superman gets amnesia from a volcanic explosion and becomes king of a forgotten Aztec city), the Tommy Tomorrow backup 'The Hermit of Titan,' and the Green Arrow backup 'The Crimes of the Clock King.'
- Edited by Jack Schiff, with Murray Boltinoff and George Kashdan as associate editors — Schiff's editorial tenure defined the look and tone of World's Finest Comics throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s.
- France Herron was Green Arrow's lead writer for the bulk of the character's Silver Age run (1947–1963), making this debut a product of the creative team most responsible for shaping the pre-Neal Adams Green Arrow.
- The Clock King has been adapted across multiple media: portrayed by Walter Slezak in the 1966 Batman TV series, voiced by Dee Bradley Baker in Batman: The Brave and the Bold animated series, and portrayed by Robert Knepper in the Arrowverse TV series Arrow.
- The Superman/Batman lead story has been reprinted in: World's Finest Comics Archives #3 (2005), Showcase Presents: World's Finest Vol. 1 (2007), Batman & Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus Vol. 1 (2016), and Batman & Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Vol. 2 (2018).
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↩ Reprints House of Mystery #35 (1955)
Reprinted in The Hundred Plus Comic #50 (1960), Läderlappen #1/1961 (1961), Superman Supacomic #18 (1961), Big Boss #55 (1961), Wanted. The World's Most Dangerous Villains #1 (1972), Big Boss #29 (1976), Super Adventure #74 (1976), World's Finest Comics Archives #3 (2005), Showcase Presents: Green Arrow #1 (2006), Showcase Presents: World's Finest #1 (2007), Comix #51 (2015), Batman and Superman in World's Finest: The Silver Age Omnibus #1 (2016), Batman & Superman in World's Finest Comics: The Silver Age #2 (2018), DC's Wanted: The World's Most Dangerous Super-Villains #[nn] (2020)
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